Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Awardee

The predictions of eMedinewS came true and India beat Pakistan and entered the finals of the ICC World Cup comfortably. When India began the innings, initially it appeared that they would score 350. As the innings progressed, even a score of 220 looked unachievable. But in the end, 260 proved to a fighting total and a competitive score. Pakistan never could accelerate their run rate.

The serotonin levels of not only of Indian players but also of the politicians and public kept rising as the match was coming in the grip of India. For the first time, one could see even Dhoni getting excited with each fall of wicket. Worry on the face of Tendulkar was evident every time Pakistan scored a run. India has never lost a match to Pakistan in the World Cup and they maintained their tradition.

When Sachin Tendulkar was on 85, it seemed that he would achieve his 100th century in this match itself. But at that time, superstition took over the cricket with the thought that whenever Sachin scores a century India may not win. The very fact that he got out for 85 raised the hope that India is going to win.Â We all know it has no scientific basis but that is how superstition works.

The frenzy over the Indiaâ€“Pakistan semifinal match will be at its peak today. Fans all over India and Pakistan would be glued to their TV sets or the Internet and why not? This is a â€˜Grand Finaleâ€™ before the actual final match of the ICC World Cup. It has already been so hyped that the Prime Ministers of both the countries will be watching it live.

One of the journalists called me up today and asked whether the presence of the Prime Minister would affect the morale of our cricket players and they might end up in performance anxiety. I replied, theoretically yes but practically no. It may also be interpreted in the other way round that it will be a great opportunity for players that they are being watched by none other than the Prime Minister of India and if any one performs well, he could well be the candidate for a Padma Bhushan or Padma Vibhushan next year. Sachin Tendulkar scoring his 100th century at Mohali might well put the criticism under rest as to whether he should get a Bharat Ratna. For Yurvaj Singh, if he performs, the Man of the Series trophy is his for the taking. Yuvraj may also be one of the Padma Awardees next year.

When you play in front of your home crowd, your serotonin levels are high which may help you to perform better and also perform at will. This is called â€˜Chimpanzee Serotonin effectâ€™. With the cheering population in Mohali, it is very clear that the serotonin levels of Indian players would be much higher than that of Pakistani players and this will give them an extra edge to perform.

Performance anxiety is another phenomenon which may negate the serotonin effect. But most of our players are experienced and not likely to get carried away with this effect. Performance anxiety affects the batsmen more than the bowlers because if a bowler makes a mistake, the team only loses six runs; but if a batsman makes a mistake, he is out of the match. The Indian team has players like Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Mahender Singh Dhoni who have played enough cricket to not be affected by performance anxiety.

Most of us will bet for an Indian victory because of patriotism but given the circumstances, I will scientifically and medically bet for India and give them the advantage because of the serotonin effect.

The Chimpanzee effect: If a chimpanzee dies, the next in command takes over and everybody notices a change in that chimpanzee. His performance doubles or triples than others. Scientifically, it has been shown that serotonin levels of the Head of the chimpanzee family are much higher than those who are just family members. This change is seen the very day the new chimpanzee takes over as the Head of the family. This increase in serotonin levels is also seen in politicians. Politicians who deliver a speech in front of an audience of say 20,000 have more serotonin levels than those who deliver the same speech in sitting in the studio.

Routine mammograms for breast cancer may also predict the risk for future development of heart disease, according to a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Researchers reviewed data on 1,454 women who received mammograms in 2004. They found that after five years, 20.8% who tested positive for breast arterial calcifications had developed heart disease, compared with 5.4% who showed no signs of the granular deposits, and the risk for heart disease was 6.3% compared with 2.3%, respectively. Moreover, 58.3% of the women with arterial calcification developed stroke compared with 13.5% who tested negative.

Study suggests beta-agonist, corticosteroid combination safe for children with asthma

Children with asthma who take long-acting beta agonists with inhaled corticosteroids do not appear to be at an increased risk of life-threatening events, according to findings presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology meeting.

ECG screening in healthy children may help detect hidden heart risks

Screening healthy children with electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography could detect previously undiagnosed conditions that might lead to sudden cardiac arrest, a pilot study suggested. The research, conducted among 400 healthy children, identified previously undiagnosed cardiac conditions in 5.8% of the kids. The study was published online in the American Heart Journal.
Dr KK Aggarwal
Editor in Chief